July 1, 2024 • 41 mins
Doug Gottlieb fills in for Colin to tell you why Paul George signing with the 76ers is not just a win for Philadelphia but a big win for the NBA as a whole
Don't count the Warriors out yet
Guest: Ric Bucher
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
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Speaker 2 (00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Welcome in. This is the Herd. Wherever you may be
and however you may be making this part of your day.
Thanks so much. I'm Doug gott leave in for Colin
Cowherd and for the next couple of hours, I want
to talk sports with you. About to go into my
Lee Hacksaw Hamilton. Listen, you join us in southern California
(00:52):
from Escondido to Powway. No, we will not have you
fill up the phone lines. Welcome in. Rick Berger is
going to join us in fifteen minutes. There is a
lot of NBA basketball to talk about because it is
July first, which means free agency is here, right, Free
(01:12):
agency is here, and Paul George is there right as
uhs that birth of you used to say that right
on ESPN Sports Center Right anyway, Paul George, now a
former Clipper is apparently a Philadelphia seventy six or that
was the That was the late breaking news by Adrian
(01:35):
Warzanowski at eleven thirty on the West Coast. I saw
East Coast guy going two thirty in the morning, like, hey, dude,
guess what guy lives in Cali? Probably pretty good sense
the deal was. The deal was consummated in California. Nonetheless,
it changes a lot of things. Obviously we'll get to
the Clippers angle. He was the the guy, the choice
(01:58):
A of the Golden State Warriors, and now he becomes
the second option, I would guess, or maybe third option
with the Philadelphia seventy six ers. And before we get
into the Sixers in terms of will it actually work
to win them a championship, the most important point to
point out is if you look at the downfall of
(02:20):
television ratings in the NBA, there's a couple different things. One,
it's obviously been hurt by the rise of the National
Football League. The NFL is incredibly popular. It is a
successful freight train that is basically out of control. Whatever
they want, whatever they do, whatever they put on TV, draft,
eximission game, game, you put it on a streaming service,
(02:46):
you put it this year, they're going to do a
Friday night game to start to start the season right
with the Eagles and the Packers, like whatever they do
is successful. So that obviously has been part of it.
The post Jordan era, right when and leaves, that's when
we saw a dramatic downturn and then it turned around
a little bit once they got scoring back and you
got Steph Curry and Lebron James and Kevin Durant. So
(03:09):
some of it is that Steph Curry and Lebron James. No,
he's there fatigued with Lebron James, he's been doing it
for so long. But they're also West Coast. And one
of the things I learned when I was at ESPN
for ten years was something that was data driven, and
they would tell you that sixty six percent of sports
television viewers are in the Eastern time zone. And then
(03:33):
you look at the direct correlation and what's happened to
the NBA's ratings, And it's not that hard to see
that when the Knicks became bad, the Celtics went through
a bad stretch. The Sixers have gone through stretches, right,
They were irrelevant when they were trusting the process. And
though the Sixers are better now and the Knicks are
better now now, you can see based upon what the
(03:53):
Knicks have done this offseason, what the Sixers are doing
in this offseason, and of course what the Celtics have
done in the season and in the postseason. When he
had a championship. You give me Boston, you give me Philly,
you give me New York. And this is a I'm
not gonna say it's gonna save the league. The league
wasn't in the process of dying. But man, is it
(04:14):
a shot in the arm. Because again data tells you
sixty six percent of sports television viewers are in the
Eastern time zone. There's a different level of intensity, different
level of passion hatred if you will. And when you
bring Paul George in and you have a big three,
no matter how successful it is, like, look, they're gonna
be the playoffs. Theyre in the playoffs this year. They're
(04:36):
they're gonna push the you know, push the envelope of
how good they can be. It's better for Philadelphia to
be good than for Cleveland to be good. Sorry, that's
just reality to it. It's better for New York to
be good than Boston or Philly, and definitely than Cleveland'll
be good, and they are, and the Boston Celtics are
(04:56):
the model, and everybody is chasing that model. I woke
up in a good place today, but no one will
woke up in a better place than Adam Silver because
there's nothing artificial about it. He had nothing to do
with it. We still have the different tax aprons which
going to play here. As we learned the salary cap yesterday.
(05:16):
We learned the apron numbers yesterday. But the NBA is tracking.
When you have quality teams in Boston, in New York,
in Philadelphia, in Los Angeles, and we'll get to the
Lakers and what it means for the Lakers, you're in
a good place. It doesn't mean that small market teams
can compete. Oklahoma City's not going anywhere. Milwaukee should be better. Look,
(05:40):
do I think they're a championship caliber team? Probably not.
Think Damon Lillard has not only peaked, but he's been exposed,
especially for what he does on a real championship caliber team.
It doesn't mean that those teams can't compete, but for
people to watch them has nothing to do with the
quality of the team. Like, Minnesota's got dudes, but they're
in Minnesota. They just they're not a draw. The Knicks
(06:02):
are a draw, the Sixers or a draw. The Nuggets
are not. And then you turn around and you look
at the Clippers, and I saw a pretty good quip.
You know, they have a picture of Paul George with
a hard hat on visiting the Into It Dome back
when the Clippers did it. Turns out he wasn't that
(06:23):
into it. I liked it. I liked it, I did.
I liked it. I chuckled. I didn't shortle, but I chuckled.
But has there ever been a franchise that has had
more coulda should have would have than the Clippers? I mean, honestly,
they they've done most things right here since they changed
(06:46):
ownership groups, it doesn't really matter, but they've done most
of the right things. I mean, Tyler's a fabulous coach.
He's really really good. That does he get a little
too caught up in ISO ball, Sure, but it worked
for him with the championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers, So
you know, you fall back on the things that you
won with. But they could never with Lob City have
(07:10):
be healthy. It was always Blake Griffin and then Chris
Paul just unhealthy at unlucky moments. And then when the
NBA changed and became about you know, offensive dexterity and
ball movement, they were still stuck in kind of that
old era of Chris Paul over handling the ball, but
(07:31):
out of necessity because they didn't have other guys that
were dominant ball handlers. Blake Griffin went from a dominant
force to as he aged, but also as it became
a lot more about pace and space and skill between
DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin. He didn't work in the
new era, and Chris Paul could never stay healthy. Then
(07:54):
they flipped it and changed and went all in on
Paul George and Kawhi Leonard winning biddy over everybody and
move mountains to get Paul George. And then either Kawhi
wasn't healthy or Paul George wasn't healthy, and they just
couldn't get over the hump the kulda and shoulda and woulda.
(08:14):
There was a stretch of time in each of the
past two seasons where by my estimation, the Clippers were
the best team in the NBA, but it wasn't the
stretch of time that mattered in the playoffs and between
Kawhi just not being healthy either of the last two years.
This is what you got. This is what you got.
(08:38):
And obviously like look, I understand the popular perception is
that big threes don't work, and you know, Daryl Morey
loves his big threes. The question is do we think
Houston didn't work because they didn't win a championship or
because of style of play or both? Right, what was
(09:00):
it twenty six, twenty eight consecutive missed three point shots?
They were pretty arn close. They couldn't get over the hump.
You know, I look at in many ways, I do
look at Morey's time in Houston much like Billy Bean
in Moneyball, when they were in the playoffs and couldn't
get over the hump. Just because they didn't win, didn't
(09:21):
mean it didn't work. It got them to new heights.
It got them to a level that their normal, that
their overall talent shouldn't have gotten them to. So I
like this one. I mean, I think in talking NBA,
people will tell you that Joel Embiid, Luka, Doncik and
Joker are the three best players in the league, and
Beid can be the most dominant. And now to Tyrese Maxey,
(09:44):
you add Paul George. That's pretty good. It's not just
And I know you're sitting there going like, Hey, the
Suns had all these courses. Yeah, but the Sons had
a bunch of wings, they didn't have a big, they
didn't have a point guard. It's not the case with
the Sixers. And now you give the Sixers a versatile
weapon who can guard, and it's probably better off being
the second best or third best player on a team.
(10:06):
I like it more than most people do. And I
love what the Knicks have done. And the Celtics are
really really good. I mean, I guess the question is
who's the fourth starter and what's their bench actually look like?
But we'll get to that in the meantime. Paul George
is the Philadelphia seventy six er. It's good for the league.
It's good for the rivalry with New York, it's good
(10:28):
for rivalry with the Celtics. And now we'll see what
they are able to put around. You know, they got
Kelly Oubrey back as well, but what are they able
to put around those four players to form a team?
All right, come up next, I'm Doug Gottlieb. This is
The Herd on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.
How close are the Sixers to the Celtics? And well
(10:51):
Clay Thompson come back home.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noon Eastern not am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
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Speaker 3 (11:02):
Doug Gottliebin for Colin is the Hurt Fox Sports Radio
iHeartRadio App. Welcome, Welcome, Welcome in. Uh again. The big
news of the day with the NBA free agency free
for all going down is Paul George is going to
join the Philadelphia seventy six ers. We got that, We
got Klay Thompson looking around looking like Golden State no
(11:26):
longer an option. And what that means and what we've
been told that Lebron James is willing to do. We'll
see what what what all that means. Rick Buker, Fox
Sports NBA Analyst, Fox Sports One. You can see him
on Speak and of course you can read this stuff
at foxsports dot com. Buke what's reaction to Paul George
join the Sixers?
Speaker 4 (11:47):
Not surprised, Uh, I don't know that the Philadelphia seventy.
I mean it was inevitable, let's put it that way,
in terms of the Clippers, uh not being able to
retain him. I was told, and believe it to be true,
that when they signed Kawhi Leonard to his three year extension,
(12:07):
that they made a promise to him that they wouldn't
be signing Paul George or anybody else to extensions longer
than his. And Paul was set on getting four years.
There was some talk about potentially assign and trade to
the Warriors. There was a report out of the Bay
Area that that the Warriors were interested in making that happen. Clippers.
(12:30):
I don't know that the Clippers wanted to send him
to arrival and see him quite quite that often and
and create a threat out of the Warriors. So look,
Philadelphia had the wherewithal to do this where the Clippers
couldn't make a deal where they were going to send
him out and get something back. Philadelphia's sensis didn't have
(12:51):
anybody signed to be able to trade it back. So
and looking at the at the Clippers, I also have
to believe that they're they're like they stuck to the guns.
Because Paul George is thirty three years old. He had
an opportunity to show that he could be the guy
that could lead them at least to a playoff round victory,
(13:12):
and he was unable to do that. And so I
believe that there they are setting themselves up for a
year from now where if you look at the number
of unrestricted free agents, Vita Zubatch is a free agent, PJ. Tucker,
Terrence Man, Russell Westbrook a mere coffee. They only have
(13:33):
one hundred and ten million dollars roughly committed to the
twenty five twenty six season, And so I think it's
going to give them an opportunity to get into their
new building and then hit the reset button.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
You got a reset with Kawhi Leonard starting to get
into his mid thirties.
Speaker 4 (13:54):
Yeah, well, look they have to keep somebody. They had
to hold over, and quite clearly they looking at I mean,
you could you could make the case, okay, keep Paul George.
They couldn't. I don't know that they could keep everybody
Harden Paul and and Kawhi uh And and be able
(14:19):
to do anything else with this team. They would have
been into the second apron And for those who aren't
familiar with that out there. It's not the new salary
cap is not just that you pay a tax. It's
that they literally take away all of your ability to
reconstruct your roster.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (14:38):
In other ways, with the middle level exception and being
able to pick up free agents who who have been
released to make a certain amount, it becomes it. It
has become so punitive that every team, even if you
know Steve Balmer has the money, uh, no Lake of
has the money, but they're looking at it. Going our
(15:01):
hands will be tied in terms of our GM's hands
will be tied in terms of being able to reconstruct
this roster. So I think that they they were not
in a good spot, but clearly they decided that we're
we're okay building around. If we can only pick two,
you know what we'll go with. We'll go with Kawhi
and James because the numbers work.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
What's the purpose behind what feels like a pretty hard cap.
Is it to be able to retain your own players?
What's what's the what's the impetus behind it?
Speaker 4 (15:37):
I think that was the idea. I think in part
retain your own players, and then the other part was
that having multi billionaires come in and just spend their
way to winning a ring, that there were enough owners
that didn't have the wherewithal to do that that they
(15:59):
were able to press the issue that we want this,
we want we don't. We don't want the Lakers and
and any of the top teams to not only have
an advantage because of where they are and and all that,
but then when a free agent becomes available, you know,
(16:19):
is on the market or or gets released for for
money reasons, that now they have the where wherewithal to
pick up the best that are out there. So I
think it was a matter of not allowing owners who
don't care about the bottom line to be able to
(16:40):
spend their way to winning a title. And then I
believe the other part is looking at parody. As much
as fans want parody out there, parody has never worked
as far as ratings and revenue for the NBA. It's
always been if you have that one super team and
(17:03):
superstar that everybody's gunning for. That's been the model that
has drawn the most attention and the best ratings. But
as we're seeing now with the anticipated new TV rights
and maybe we should say video rights since we're going
to get into streaming companies, as well, Like, I don't
(17:26):
know that the need for that is there as far
as being able to sell the product. They're still going
to the rates are still going to go up. They're
still going to make billions of dollars. So I believe
that the NBA is in a place where they're like,
you know what, we can go with parody, We can
(17:47):
go with a model where let's restrict ourselves. I mean
really comes down to owners also not wanting to get
even the billionaire owners not wanting to get into an arms.
So the new deal, as the salary cap has always been,
is to try to restrict owners from themselves from from
(18:10):
just indulging themselves and overspending.
Speaker 3 (18:16):
Stug Otlibin for Collins, the Herd on Fox Sports, Trade
and the iHeartRadio app. Okay, so Paul George off the board,
Clay Thompson still on the board, and I love the
rich Paul Hey, Lebron would be willing to take less
in order to get you know a couple of different players. Yeah,
but how much less? You know, how much less Clay
(18:40):
Thompson The Lakers is you know, the worst kept secret
lust by Jeanie Buss and the Lakers because Michael, of
course is so beloved and of course is you know,
called Laker games forever, and Clay grew up in Santa
Margarita down in South Orange County. You know, what's the
likelihood that Clay ends up are in form Blue and
(19:01):
Gold boy?
Speaker 4 (19:02):
If he did it, it would be purely out of
spite as I see it, because the Warriors have offered
him more, significantly more, and as of right now, he's
looking at taking the twelve point nine mid level exception
to sign with the Lakers, and the Warriors have offered
(19:23):
him reportedly have offered him close to twenty. So it
would be and it would be a matter of you've
disrespected me. I think even the Dallas Mavericks can get
to a number that is bigger than the Lakers. How
much of this is also just you know, the emotional
(19:44):
tug of as you noted, playing for the team that
his dad played for. You know, as of right now,
I from everything I know, like the I don't know
how close those two are right now, father son, but
may not even matter, but it doesn't. It sounds good,
(20:06):
but it really doesn't make a whole lot of sense
in my mind for for Clay, because I'm not sure
that he's dramatically improving his his situation. I would also
say that if you look at what's transpired, play has
(20:26):
not looked in the same the same way around the league.
It's not they're not looking at we're going to take
a piece of the Big Three or we're going to
break up the Splash brothers.
Speaker 5 (20:37):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (20:37):
If he was still held in the same regard, Orlando
wouldn't be going out and signing KCP for twenty two
million per like that would that would have been something
that they would have used to get Clay. Now, maybe
maybe Clay wasn't interest in going all the way across
the country, but again, that would have been a better
(20:58):
situation for him potentially certainly financially and potentially competitively. Then
what the what he would have if if he joined
the Lakers. So I get the romance of it, I'm
(21:19):
not sure it makes as much sense as people are
making it out to be because I don't know that
Clay is the same as the same guy. And I've
said it from the very beginning, like if he if
I were to advise him, I would say, you are
beloved in Warriors Land, and whatever you do going forward,
people are not going to kill you if he saw
(21:40):
whatever number he signs for. If he's not the Clay
that people remember that the vintage Clay, there's not going
to be as much grace with other fan bases because
they haven't been through the good times with him as
the Warriors have.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
Yeah, so what's the likelihood? Though it does seem like,
and this is all we're reading, it does seem like
though that relationship, it's it's hard for him to accept
a depleted role and depleted offer.
Speaker 4 (22:09):
Well, I feel it's not unlike the PG situation, where
I think there's there's there was an expectation and in
terms of what the player thinks he's worth, and if
I'm not getting that, then you know there's not going
to be any sentiment here. And and I also believe
that the Warriors are not willing to just go to
(22:32):
any number to retain him. I think the Warriors and
the Clippers are both in a very similar situation where
you know, it's like letting Chris Paul go and we
might even see And I think things are a little
bit different for the reason things are happening the way
they are in Denver is a little bit different but
I think with both the Clippers and the Warriors, they're
(22:53):
they're looking at it and saying, we're not definitive uh,
title contenders as is, and we're we're not on the
way up. So more than ever, we're gonna have to
retain our flexibility and we're going to have to be
and this is what we don't have not been used
to with either the Warriors or the Clippers. We're going
(23:14):
to have to be fiscally prudent. So here's the number play.
If you take it, we'd love to have you. But
if not, then we're gonna move on because financially, we
can't just afford to do whatever we want as we
have in the past.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
Are the Knicks done?
Speaker 4 (23:31):
Are they done? Are they done making deals or making.
Speaker 3 (23:34):
Moves, making making substantial moves, Like is Julius Randel and
Nick next year?
Speaker 4 (23:41):
Yeah, I would imagine. I would imagine that he is,
just because I don't know that there's a robust market
for Julius. I'm sure that they are looking around, but
at this stage I'm losing heart. Isaiah Hartenstein was a
big loss in in my mind. If they had found
(24:02):
a way to retain him, then uh and and probably
in part finding a way to move Randall again fiscally
would have made it easier to do that. With Hartenstein,
that's a that's a huge loss for them. I think
he's a key component. Not quite on the level of
Christaps porzingis with Boston, but but someone like that. In
(24:26):
terms of a skilled big, Mitchell Robinson can't give you
that same thing. The thing that Hertenstein gives him is
is that passing from the from the elbow. Well, now,
the closest thing you have to a skilled big on
that team is Julius Randall. So if you're going to
(24:46):
move him, you're going to have to get somebody as
good or better. And I don't know that they've that,
that the market has that out there, or that anybody
has interest in making that deal. So so as of
right now, I would expect Julius Randall to be a
New York next season, and I would not expect any
(25:09):
any more dramatic changes. I like their team with Hartenstein.
I love that team.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
Okay, Rick Baker joining us de Jontay Murray was who
was sent packing, and the big question was would Trey
Young be traded. Trey Young's far and away the most
popular Leanta Hawk. They've had uh since Dominique, maybe even
preceding Dominique. Wilkins, So, does this with with Murray being moved,
does that mean Trey Young stays in Atlanta?
Speaker 4 (25:38):
I would I would think so. I mean, they knew
that they had to break them up, and and it's
and it's as much as anything. It's like they needed
to break them up. And there was a better market
for Dejente than there was for Trey, just because of
the the size of the contract and the feeling that
he's he's good. But he's probably more valuable to Atlanta
(26:01):
because of that popularity than he would be to anybody
else in terms of the number. I don't know anybody
else around the league looks at Trey and says, this
is a cornerstone guy for a championship team. Really good player, exciting,
gets numbers, but the core of a championship. Ah, I don't.
(26:23):
I don't know that. The perspective around the league is
is that he's that, and so they had the opportunity
to They knew they had to break the break up
the two of them, and they were able to do
that with Dejonte. Now, what is interesting is Dejonte going
to New Orleans and the Pelicans having to make a
decision on on brandon Ingram. I know they'd like to
(26:44):
retain him, they do not want to pay him the
full vote that he that he wants, and I don't
know that they will. And again, we could be running
into a little bit of a Paul George situation with
the New Orleans Pelicans and brand and Ingram in terms
of we're we want to keep you, but we have
(27:05):
a number in mind, and if we can't meet that,
then then we'll find a way to move you. I
it's another situation where Brandon Ingram and what he wants.
First of all, there aren't a whole lot of teams
out there that have massive cap room, so it probably
ends up being a trade. And while I think people
(27:25):
like Brandon, I don't know that they love him to
the point that they'd be willing to take him on
for a max deal.
Speaker 3 (27:32):
Okay, so give me the give me the big name
player we're not thinking of that's going to be moved
here this week.
Speaker 4 (27:40):
Oh wow, you need to send me a question like
that ahead of the time, so I can.
Speaker 3 (27:48):
I know your phone is buzzing. I know you've got
a bunch of text return. I understand how this works,
and I know there's a name on that phone, and
you're like, oh, I mean like, look, I have a list.
I've been keeping a running tab of the names that
we've mentioned, and so tell me a name we haven't mentioned.
I mean, you know, I'm.
Speaker 4 (28:09):
Trying to Well, immediately, I have to go to the
teams that are somewhat capstrapped right now or are looking
to make that sizable move. And we've seen we've seen
a lot of it already. So I'm I'm a little
bit at a loss here in terms of let me
(28:32):
just take a quick look.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
Well, yeah, I mean they're trying to move Zach Levine,
but what about Demart erosion? I mean, who who you know,
one of the one of the bulls go ahead.
Speaker 4 (28:42):
I think that's another instance where DeMar Look, there isn't
a taker for Zach with that contract. There just isn't.
And financially, I don't Again, I don't know that the
bulls can do what they they'd love to keep the
(29:04):
mar Financially I don't. I don't know that they can
do it. I think they're up against it the same
way that Paul George is. So the other big question
is in Cleveland with Donovan Mitchell, like is he all in?
Is that the direction that they're.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
Going to go?
Speaker 4 (29:22):
Is he going to commit? And they need an answer
sooner rather than later on that. So that's another name
I would keep an eye on. And then looking across
the board, I am not seeing another team is going
(29:45):
to do something dramatic?
Speaker 2 (29:47):
What's that?
Speaker 3 (29:48):
Andrew Wiggins? He doesn't get moved.
Speaker 4 (29:52):
The only way he gets moved is if the Warriors
are willing to attach a pick, is what I've been told. Like,
Wiggins is a place where people believe he was at
his best with the Warriors, and the Wiggins that we
saw last year is more than Norman and the twenty
(30:16):
twenty two Wiggins is the exception. And so I think
the Warriors are in a place where they're like, we
need to find a way. Our best path is to
find a way to recreate twenty twenty two Wiggins because
we don't want to get We don't want to have
to give him a pick or some sort of asset
in order to move Wiggins.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
And that's what it would be.
Speaker 3 (30:36):
It would be.
Speaker 4 (30:37):
Kind of the de Angelo Russell, Please take them off
our hands and we'll give you a pick to do it.
That that is the state of Andrew Wiggins right now
in the league. From what I have been told and
everything that I see in Minnesota is that as of
right now, they're going to try to run it back.
(31:00):
Believe that the only thing they need to do is
mature and do it on a timeline that that Mike
Conley is not too mature.
Speaker 3 (31:10):
Yeah, I got you. He's Rick Buker. Read his work
at Foxsports dot com. Of course you can see him
on TV at on Fox Sports One. He's the absolute
best Buke. I appreciate you joining us. I know you're busy.
Thanks for joining us on Fox Spork Tridio. You got
it all right. Coming up next in the Herd, we
got the latest on Brandon Ayuk. That's next in the Herd.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noone Easter not a Empacific.
Speaker 6 (31:38):
Hey, it's Ben, host of the Fifth Hour with Ben Maller,
with me and a lot to have you join us
on our weekly auditory journey. You're asking, what in God's
name is the Fifth Hour? I'll tell you it's a
spin off of it. Ben Maler Show, a Colt hit
overnights on FSR. Why should you listen? Picture if you
will a world will. We chat with captains of industry
in media, sports and more every week explore so amazing
(32:00):
facts about human nature and more. Listen to the Fifth
Hour with Ben Mather or the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast
or wherever you get your podcast.
Speaker 3 (32:07):
Doug Gollibin for Collins heard on Fox Sports Radio, iHeartRadio app.
Let's get to Herdline News. No, no, turn on the news.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
This is the herd Line News.
Speaker 3 (32:25):
Hellou, Ryan, HELLU.
Speaker 5 (32:27):
All right, Doug, We're actually gonna start this off with
some breaking news, So we're gonna go with four stories
and a jam packed Herdline News. This just coming down
in the past couple minutes. Adrian woj Niarowski with the
breaking news out of the NBA. Boston Celtics guard Derek
White has agreed on a four year, one hundred and
twenty five point nine million dollar contract extension to stay
(32:52):
with the Boston Celtics. Does include a player option. YadA, YadA, YadA.
Speaker 3 (32:59):
Well, obviously, Derek quite, I mean, a bunch of things
have gone his way. Everyone knows the ascension that he
had when he's in college or when he's in high
school to you know, when he is not recruited. He
grew a bunch, by the way, it's one of the
things that's not a report. I think he grew like
eight inches like it was not recruited, and then all
of a sudden he becomes an NBA player, like he
grew like eight inches. But anyway, I mean, look, the
(33:22):
Boston model is, you know, you have three two way
players and two stars, sure, and you have you know,
five stretch fives. The big question for Boston is going
to be how long they keep this together with al Horford?
And can they keep christas persingis you know, kind of
together with Scotch tape. That's really what it comes down to, because.
Speaker 5 (33:46):
He's already going to be out for almost half the
regular season at least.
Speaker 3 (33:52):
Right, I mean, they need him in the playoffs, but sure,
but again, and then you're depending on how Horford whatever
else they decide to do. Inside. They signed the kid
from from Vanderbilt. What was his saying, the big center
from Vanderbilt who could shoot? So again that the Celtics
of the model, and everybody's trying to play catch up
to what they can do. I think Philadelphia's got a shot,
(34:14):
but it's what can they add at those other pieces
to be with the Celtics that are much more balanced team.
Speaker 4 (34:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (34:20):
I think the interesting thing what with the Celtics is
and you know, we saw this move obviously the other
contract extensions that they've done to basically just retain a
lot of this year's team over into future years. Brad
Stevens someone who you know pretty well, kind of remarkable
(34:41):
that he's somehow pulled off being a better GM than
he was a coach after being a head coach at
a relatively smaller college basketball program. His his basketball acumen
is second to none.
Speaker 3 (34:57):
Right now. I think he's the new Jerry West. The
only thing he doesn't have Jerry West is the the
incredible playing intangibles. But in terms of player evaluation, be
able to coach it. I mean, Jerry West didn't like coaching,
wasn't a particularly good coach, whereas Brad Stevens is. But
Brad Stevens that the mental dexterity to be able to
be a great coach in college, a great coach in
(35:19):
the NBA. And I do I don't throw it around
rather work great. I think he's a great coach in
the NBA, but I also think he understood that his
voice they kind of got tired of his voice. They
need a new voice. Sure. And then he chose not
one but two high level coaches, right like we can
say we want about Imi Udoka and how it ended
in fact was he went to the NBA finals and
(35:40):
then he found another one. That's he's been an outstanding coach.
And yeah, I think Brad Stevens deserves a lot more
praise than he gets. Tash.
Speaker 5 (35:50):
All right, now let's dive in on that again being
the breaking news Derek White big contract extension to stay
with the Celtics that just coming out. Now, let's get
to uh, some of our other prepared topics will stick
with the NBA real quick. Two time NBA champ contavingdus
excuse me, Contavious Caldwell Pope is leaving the Nuggets and
will be signing with the Magic, getting a three year,
(36:13):
sixty six million dollar deal.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
This one hurts for the Nuggets.
Speaker 5 (36:17):
KCP player on both ends of the floor, shot forty
from three during his two seasons in Denver. You know,
we were quick to anoint the Denver Nuggets as the
next great dynasty to take hold in the NBA. And
not that I think it's over for the Nuggets by
any means, but now here they are in the process
(36:38):
of sort of shedding some of their championship talent as
opposed to continuing to build.
Speaker 3 (36:43):
No question, last year they lost h Bruce Brown rights. Yeah,
and then and I thought that really helped hurt them. Yes,
hurt their ability to play small when Jogich wasn't in
the game. And now you lose KCP, who you want
to a career resuscitation.
Speaker 5 (37:01):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 3 (37:02):
I mean it was amazing. People forget that he could
only play home games and had to stay sleep in
a detention facility when he was with the Lakers. Then
he was an integral part of their championship team, and
then he was obviously an integral part of the Nuggets
championship team. So this is the challenge to finding those
guys that fit into your culture and into your needs.
(37:24):
And we'll see what Denver is able to replace him,
because they need a need. They need both. They need
another KCP and they need another Bruce Brown.
Speaker 2 (37:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (37:31):
And you know the interesting thing about the Nuggets, and
you know, Jamal Murray got a contract extension, they have Jokic.
Those are their two core players. That's you know, if
they're both healthy and right, then they'll be fine for
the most part. But Jamal Murray has become quite a
fascinating player of has never been an All Star, but
we all really respect him and think he's a great player.
(37:53):
But he certainly had his struggles during this postseason as
opposed to the previous postseason, which was a clear reason
why they were able to win the title. And it'll
be fascinating to see sort of which version of Jamal
Murray we get heading into next year, no doubt. And
let's turn our attention to the NFL here. The Broncos
haven't made the playoffs in the eight season since winning
(38:14):
Super Bowl fifty. In that same span, they've only been
over five hundred once. Well, things are about to change,
at least according to their linebacker Jonas Griffith. He told
one of four point three the fan in Denver, quote,
they're going to surprise a lot of people, and head
coach Sean Payton is very confident in this year's team. Obviously,
some big changes with the Broncos Russell Wilson is out.
(38:37):
They drafted Bo Nicks out of Oregon. They also have
Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson. Colin obviously a big fan
of Sean Payton and a big fan of O Nicks
coming out of college.
Speaker 3 (38:50):
Yeah. Look, the bow Knicks experiment is going to be
really interesting, right because here's a guy that went to
a place and started as a freshman at Auburn where's
dad had played, and obviously kind of resurrected his NFL
career going to Oregon, play a ton of college football,
and you know, when you're hand picked by Sean Payton.
Speaker 5 (39:08):
Bike more college football than any like modern quarterback has
ever played with like over sixty starts.
Speaker 3 (39:15):
That's crazy. That's crazy. Uh yeah, it's going to be
really really interesting to see how that how that plays out.
I don't I don't know. Like the Boat Nix of
the last two years, especially this past year, was incredibly consistent,
but if you watch him in the SEC, he was
incredibly inconsistent, especially on the road. So you know, but
(39:36):
he's going to get more than one opportunity to fail
because he is Sean Payton's guy, and this is Sean
Payton's ship.
Speaker 5 (39:43):
We'll wrap up with this the latest for you on
Brandon Aiyuk and the forty nine Ers in this very
public and very contentious contract negotiation. Iyuk was on the
Pivot podcast. He was talking about where he thinks he
will play next season. He said, if I were to guess,
it's going to be in a Niners unif if not
a Niners uniform, probably a commander's uniform. If not in Washington,
(40:05):
maybe a Steeler's uniform. So he does have the realistic
expectation that if the forty nine Ers don't want to
move him, he's not going anywhere. But we know the
commander's connection with their new quarterback Jane Daniels and their
brief time together at Arizona State and College, and then
surprisingly enough, the Steelers. I guess he wants to team
(40:25):
up with Russell Wilson. I'm not sure of the connection
there other than maybe just had an appreciation of the organization.
Speaker 3 (40:32):
I know they don't have to do anything they don't
want to do it. I just just pep up for
people to understand how these contracts work. Don't have to
do anything they don't want to do it, and the
likely it is they don't want to do it at
least this year, that he'll just he'll be back playing
for the Niners. But we'll see. That's ry music with
the news.
Speaker 2 (40:51):
Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping by the
herd Line News.
Speaker 3 (40:56):
Look. Despite potentially and in the likely inevan ability of
losing Klay Thompson to free agency and not getting Paul
George in free agency, you know what I want to
do up coming next just just a thought for me.
I want to talk at the Warriors, right because there's
this weird kind of mere curiol thought on the dynasty
(41:18):
and whether or not they can resuscitate it or whether
or not it's dead and you just scrap it and
move on. Right, So here's what we're gonna do. We'll
dive in. I'll tell you why. I think. It's just me,
Doug Gottlieb filling in for Colin. I think that losing
Klay Thompson free agency is the sign that the that
(41:39):
the Warriors have a chance to keep the dynasty rolling
or get the dynasty back. I'll explain that. I'm coming
next again. I'm Doug Gottlieb. This is the Hurd on
Fox Sports Radio on the iHeart radio app,
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in
noon to three Eastern nine am to noon Pacific. Find
your local station for The Herd at Fox Sports Radio
dot com, or stream us live every day on the
iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Welcome in. This is the Herd. Wherever you may be
and however you may be making this part of your day.
Thanks so much. I'm Doug gott leave in for Colin
Cowherd and for the next couple of hours, I want
to talk sports with you. About to go into my
Lee Hacksaw Hamilton. Listen, you join us in southern California
(00:52):
from Escondido to Powway. No, we will not have you
fill up the phone lines. Welcome in. Rick Berger is
going to join us in fifteen minutes. There is a
lot of NBA basketball to talk about because it is
July first, which means free agency is here, right, Free
(01:12):
agency is here, and Paul George is there right as
uhs that birth of you used to say that right
on ESPN Sports Center Right anyway, Paul George, now a
former Clipper is apparently a Philadelphia seventy six or that
was the That was the late breaking news by Adrian
(01:35):
Warzanowski at eleven thirty on the West Coast. I saw
East Coast guy going two thirty in the morning, like, hey, dude,
guess what guy lives in Cali? Probably pretty good sense
the deal was. The deal was consummated in California. Nonetheless,
it changes a lot of things. Obviously we'll get to
the Clippers angle. He was the the guy, the choice
(01:58):
A of the Golden State Warriors, and now he becomes
the second option, I would guess, or maybe third option
with the Philadelphia seventy six ers. And before we get
into the Sixers in terms of will it actually work
to win them a championship, the most important point to
point out is if you look at the downfall of
(02:20):
television ratings in the NBA, there's a couple different things. One,
it's obviously been hurt by the rise of the National
Football League. The NFL is incredibly popular. It is a
successful freight train that is basically out of control. Whatever
they want, whatever they do, whatever they put on TV, draft,
eximission game, game, you put it on a streaming service,
(02:46):
you put it this year, they're going to do a
Friday night game to start to start the season right
with the Eagles and the Packers, like whatever they do
is successful. So that obviously has been part of it.
The post Jordan era, right when and leaves, that's when
we saw a dramatic downturn and then it turned around
a little bit once they got scoring back and you
got Steph Curry and Lebron James and Kevin Durant. So
(03:09):
some of it is that Steph Curry and Lebron James. No,
he's there fatigued with Lebron James, he's been doing it
for so long. But they're also West Coast. And one
of the things I learned when I was at ESPN
for ten years was something that was data driven, and
they would tell you that sixty six percent of sports
television viewers are in the Eastern time zone. And then
(03:33):
you look at the direct correlation and what's happened to
the NBA's ratings, And it's not that hard to see
that when the Knicks became bad, the Celtics went through
a bad stretch. The Sixers have gone through stretches, right,
They were irrelevant when they were trusting the process. And
though the Sixers are better now and the Knicks are
better now now, you can see based upon what the
(03:53):
Knicks have done this offseason, what the Sixers are doing
in this offseason, and of course what the Celtics have
done in the season and in the postseason. When he
had a championship. You give me Boston, you give me Philly,
you give me New York. And this is a I'm
not gonna say it's gonna save the league. The league
wasn't in the process of dying. But man, is it
(04:14):
a shot in the arm. Because again data tells you
sixty six percent of sports television viewers are in the
Eastern time zone. There's a different level of intensity, different
level of passion hatred if you will. And when you
bring Paul George in and you have a big three,
no matter how successful it is, like, look, they're gonna
be the playoffs. Theyre in the playoffs this year. They're
(04:36):
they're gonna push the you know, push the envelope of
how good they can be. It's better for Philadelphia to
be good than for Cleveland to be good. Sorry, that's
just reality to it. It's better for New York to
be good than Boston or Philly, and definitely than Cleveland'll
be good, and they are, and the Boston Celtics are
(04:56):
the model, and everybody is chasing that model. I woke
up in a good place today, but no one will
woke up in a better place than Adam Silver because
there's nothing artificial about it. He had nothing to do
with it. We still have the different tax aprons which
going to play here. As we learned the salary cap yesterday.
(05:16):
We learned the apron numbers yesterday. But the NBA is tracking.
When you have quality teams in Boston, in New York,
in Philadelphia, in Los Angeles, and we'll get to the
Lakers and what it means for the Lakers, you're in
a good place. It doesn't mean that small market teams
can compete. Oklahoma City's not going anywhere. Milwaukee should be better. Look,
(05:40):
do I think they're a championship caliber team? Probably not.
Think Damon Lillard has not only peaked, but he's been exposed,
especially for what he does on a real championship caliber team.
It doesn't mean that those teams can't compete, but for
people to watch them has nothing to do with the
quality of the team. Like, Minnesota's got dudes, but they're
in Minnesota. They just they're not a draw. The Knicks
(06:02):
are a draw, the Sixers or a draw. The Nuggets
are not. And then you turn around and you look
at the Clippers, and I saw a pretty good quip.
You know, they have a picture of Paul George with
a hard hat on visiting the Into It Dome back
when the Clippers did it. Turns out he wasn't that
(06:23):
into it. I liked it. I liked it, I did.
I liked it. I chuckled. I didn't shortle, but I chuckled.
But has there ever been a franchise that has had
more coulda should have would have than the Clippers? I mean, honestly,
they they've done most things right here since they changed
(06:46):
ownership groups, it doesn't really matter, but they've done most
of the right things. I mean, Tyler's a fabulous coach.
He's really really good. That does he get a little
too caught up in ISO ball, Sure, but it worked
for him with the championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers, So
you know, you fall back on the things that you
won with. But they could never with Lob City have
(07:10):
be healthy. It was always Blake Griffin and then Chris
Paul just unhealthy at unlucky moments. And then when the
NBA changed and became about you know, offensive dexterity and
ball movement, they were still stuck in kind of that
old era of Chris Paul over handling the ball, but
(07:31):
out of necessity because they didn't have other guys that
were dominant ball handlers. Blake Griffin went from a dominant
force to as he aged, but also as it became
a lot more about pace and space and skill between
DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin. He didn't work in the
new era, and Chris Paul could never stay healthy. Then
(07:54):
they flipped it and changed and went all in on
Paul George and Kawhi Leonard winning biddy over everybody and
move mountains to get Paul George. And then either Kawhi
wasn't healthy or Paul George wasn't healthy, and they just
couldn't get over the hump the kulda and shoulda and woulda.
(08:14):
There was a stretch of time in each of the
past two seasons where by my estimation, the Clippers were
the best team in the NBA, but it wasn't the
stretch of time that mattered in the playoffs and between
Kawhi just not being healthy either of the last two years.
This is what you got. This is what you got.
(08:38):
And obviously like look, I understand the popular perception is
that big threes don't work, and you know, Daryl Morey
loves his big threes. The question is do we think
Houston didn't work because they didn't win a championship or
because of style of play or both? Right, what was
(09:00):
it twenty six, twenty eight consecutive missed three point shots?
They were pretty arn close. They couldn't get over the hump.
You know, I look at in many ways, I do
look at Morey's time in Houston much like Billy Bean
in Moneyball, when they were in the playoffs and couldn't
get over the hump. Just because they didn't win, didn't
(09:21):
mean it didn't work. It got them to new heights.
It got them to a level that their normal, that
their overall talent shouldn't have gotten them to. So I
like this one. I mean, I think in talking NBA,
people will tell you that Joel Embiid, Luka, Doncik and
Joker are the three best players in the league, and
Beid can be the most dominant. And now to Tyrese Maxey,
(09:44):
you add Paul George. That's pretty good. It's not just
And I know you're sitting there going like, Hey, the
Suns had all these courses. Yeah, but the Sons had
a bunch of wings, they didn't have a big, they
didn't have a point guard. It's not the case with
the Sixers. And now you give the Sixers a versatile
weapon who can guard, and it's probably better off being
the second best or third best player on a team.
(10:06):
I like it more than most people do. And I
love what the Knicks have done. And the Celtics are
really really good. I mean, I guess the question is
who's the fourth starter and what's their bench actually look like?
But we'll get to that in the meantime. Paul George
is the Philadelphia seventy six er. It's good for the league.
It's good for the rivalry with New York, it's good
(10:28):
for rivalry with the Celtics. And now we'll see what
they are able to put around. You know, they got
Kelly Oubrey back as well, but what are they able
to put around those four players to form a team?
All right, come up next, I'm Doug Gottlieb. This is
The Herd on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.
How close are the Sixers to the Celtics? And well
(10:51):
Clay Thompson come back home.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noon Eastern not am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
Doug Gottliebin for Colin is the Hurt Fox Sports Radio
iHeartRadio App. Welcome, Welcome, Welcome in. Uh again. The big
news of the day with the NBA free agency free
for all going down is Paul George is going to
join the Philadelphia seventy six ers. We got that, We
got Klay Thompson looking around looking like Golden State no
(11:26):
longer an option. And what that means and what we've
been told that Lebron James is willing to do. We'll
see what what what all that means. Rick Buker, Fox
Sports NBA Analyst, Fox Sports One. You can see him
on Speak and of course you can read this stuff
at foxsports dot com. Buke what's reaction to Paul George
join the Sixers?
Speaker 4 (11:47):
Not surprised, Uh, I don't know that the Philadelphia seventy.
I mean it was inevitable, let's put it that way,
in terms of the Clippers, uh not being able to
retain him. I was told, and believe it to be true,
that when they signed Kawhi Leonard to his three year extension,
(12:07):
that they made a promise to him that they wouldn't
be signing Paul George or anybody else to extensions longer
than his. And Paul was set on getting four years.
There was some talk about potentially assign and trade to
the Warriors. There was a report out of the Bay
Area that that the Warriors were interested in making that happen. Clippers.
(12:30):
I don't know that the Clippers wanted to send him
to arrival and see him quite quite that often and
and create a threat out of the Warriors. So look,
Philadelphia had the wherewithal to do this where the Clippers
couldn't make a deal where they were going to send
him out and get something back. Philadelphia's sensis didn't have
(12:51):
anybody signed to be able to trade it back. So
and looking at the at the Clippers, I also have
to believe that they're they're like they stuck to the guns.
Because Paul George is thirty three years old. He had
an opportunity to show that he could be the guy
that could lead them at least to a playoff round victory,
(13:12):
and he was unable to do that. And so I
believe that there they are setting themselves up for a
year from now where if you look at the number
of unrestricted free agents, Vita Zubatch is a free agent, PJ. Tucker,
Terrence Man, Russell Westbrook a mere coffee. They only have
(13:33):
one hundred and ten million dollars roughly committed to the
twenty five twenty six season, And so I think it's
going to give them an opportunity to get into their
new building and then hit the reset button.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
You got a reset with Kawhi Leonard starting to get
into his mid thirties.
Speaker 4 (13:54):
Yeah, well, look they have to keep somebody. They had
to hold over, and quite clearly they looking at I mean,
you could you could make the case, okay, keep Paul George.
They couldn't. I don't know that they could keep everybody
Harden Paul and and Kawhi uh And and be able
(14:19):
to do anything else with this team. They would have
been into the second apron And for those who aren't
familiar with that out there. It's not the new salary
cap is not just that you pay a tax. It's
that they literally take away all of your ability to
reconstruct your roster.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (14:38):
In other ways, with the middle level exception and being
able to pick up free agents who who have been
released to make a certain amount, it becomes it. It
has become so punitive that every team, even if you
know Steve Balmer has the money, uh, no Lake of
has the money, but they're looking at it. Going our
(15:01):
hands will be tied in terms of our GM's hands
will be tied in terms of being able to reconstruct
this roster. So I think that they they were not
in a good spot, but clearly they decided that we're
we're okay building around. If we can only pick two,
you know what we'll go with. We'll go with Kawhi
and James because the numbers work.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
What's the purpose behind what feels like a pretty hard cap.
Is it to be able to retain your own players?
What's what's the what's the impetus behind it?
Speaker 4 (15:37):
I think that was the idea. I think in part
retain your own players, and then the other part was
that having multi billionaires come in and just spend their
way to winning a ring, that there were enough owners
that didn't have the wherewithal to do that that they
(15:59):
were able to press the issue that we want this,
we want we don't. We don't want the Lakers and
and any of the top teams to not only have
an advantage because of where they are and and all that,
but then when a free agent becomes available, you know,
(16:19):
is on the market or or gets released for for
money reasons, that now they have the where wherewithal to
pick up the best that are out there. So I
think it was a matter of not allowing owners who
don't care about the bottom line to be able to
(16:40):
spend their way to winning a title. And then I
believe the other part is looking at parody. As much
as fans want parody out there, parody has never worked
as far as ratings and revenue for the NBA. It's
always been if you have that one super team and
(17:03):
superstar that everybody's gunning for. That's been the model that
has drawn the most attention and the best ratings. But
as we're seeing now with the anticipated new TV rights
and maybe we should say video rights since we're going
to get into streaming companies, as well, Like, I don't
(17:26):
know that the need for that is there as far
as being able to sell the product. They're still going
to the rates are still going to go up. They're
still going to make billions of dollars. So I believe
that the NBA is in a place where they're like,
you know what, we can go with parody, We can
(17:47):
go with a model where let's restrict ourselves. I mean
really comes down to owners also not wanting to get
even the billionaire owners not wanting to get into an arms.
So the new deal, as the salary cap has always been,
is to try to restrict owners from themselves from from
(18:10):
just indulging themselves and overspending.
Speaker 3 (18:16):
Stug Otlibin for Collins, the Herd on Fox Sports, Trade
and the iHeartRadio app. Okay, so Paul George off the board,
Clay Thompson still on the board, and I love the
rich Paul Hey, Lebron would be willing to take less
in order to get you know a couple of different players. Yeah,
but how much less? You know, how much less Clay
(18:40):
Thompson The Lakers is you know, the worst kept secret
lust by Jeanie Buss and the Lakers because Michael, of
course is so beloved and of course is you know,
called Laker games forever, and Clay grew up in Santa
Margarita down in South Orange County. You know, what's the
likelihood that Clay ends up are in form Blue and
(19:01):
Gold boy?
Speaker 4 (19:02):
If he did it, it would be purely out of
spite as I see it, because the Warriors have offered
him more, significantly more, and as of right now, he's
looking at taking the twelve point nine mid level exception
to sign with the Lakers, and the Warriors have offered
(19:23):
him reportedly have offered him close to twenty. So it
would be and it would be a matter of you've
disrespected me. I think even the Dallas Mavericks can get
to a number that is bigger than the Lakers. How
much of this is also just you know, the emotional
(19:44):
tug of as you noted, playing for the team that
his dad played for. You know, as of right now,
I from everything I know, like the I don't know
how close those two are right now, father son, but
may not even matter, but it doesn't. It sounds good,
(20:06):
but it really doesn't make a whole lot of sense
in my mind for for Clay, because I'm not sure
that he's dramatically improving his his situation. I would also
say that if you look at what's transpired, play has
(20:26):
not looked in the same the same way around the league.
It's not they're not looking at we're going to take
a piece of the Big Three or we're going to
break up the Splash brothers.
Speaker 5 (20:37):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (20:37):
If he was still held in the same regard, Orlando
wouldn't be going out and signing KCP for twenty two
million per like that would that would have been something
that they would have used to get Clay. Now, maybe
maybe Clay wasn't interest in going all the way across
the country, but again, that would have been a better
(20:58):
situation for him potentially certainly financially and potentially competitively. Then
what the what he would have if if he joined
the Lakers. So I get the romance of it, I'm
(21:19):
not sure it makes as much sense as people are
making it out to be because I don't know that
Clay is the same as the same guy. And I've
said it from the very beginning, like if he if
I were to advise him, I would say, you are
beloved in Warriors Land, and whatever you do going forward,
people are not going to kill you if he saw
(21:40):
whatever number he signs for. If he's not the Clay
that people remember that the vintage Clay, there's not going
to be as much grace with other fan bases because
they haven't been through the good times with him as
the Warriors have.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
Yeah, so what's the likelihood? Though it does seem like,
and this is all we're reading, it does seem like
though that relationship, it's it's hard for him to accept
a depleted role and depleted offer.
Speaker 4 (22:09):
Well, I feel it's not unlike the PG situation, where
I think there's there's there was an expectation and in
terms of what the player thinks he's worth, and if
I'm not getting that, then you know there's not going
to be any sentiment here. And and I also believe
that the Warriors are not willing to just go to
(22:32):
any number to retain him. I think the Warriors and
the Clippers are both in a very similar situation where
you know, it's like letting Chris Paul go and we
might even see And I think things are a little
bit different for the reason things are happening the way
they are in Denver is a little bit different but
I think with both the Clippers and the Warriors, they're
(22:53):
they're looking at it and saying, we're not definitive uh,
title contenders as is, and we're we're not on the
way up. So more than ever, we're gonna have to
retain our flexibility and we're going to have to be
and this is what we don't have not been used
to with either the Warriors or the Clippers. We're going
(23:14):
to have to be fiscally prudent. So here's the number play.
If you take it, we'd love to have you. But
if not, then we're gonna move on because financially, we
can't just afford to do whatever we want as we
have in the past.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
Are the Knicks done?
Speaker 4 (23:31):
Are they done? Are they done making deals or making.
Speaker 3 (23:34):
Moves, making making substantial moves, Like is Julius Randel and
Nick next year?
Speaker 4 (23:41):
Yeah, I would imagine. I would imagine that he is,
just because I don't know that there's a robust market
for Julius. I'm sure that they are looking around, but
at this stage I'm losing heart. Isaiah Hartenstein was a
big loss in in my mind. If they had found
(24:02):
a way to retain him, then uh and and probably
in part finding a way to move Randall again fiscally
would have made it easier to do that. With Hartenstein,
that's a that's a huge loss for them. I think
he's a key component. Not quite on the level of
Christaps porzingis with Boston, but but someone like that. In
(24:26):
terms of a skilled big, Mitchell Robinson can't give you
that same thing. The thing that Hertenstein gives him is
is that passing from the from the elbow. Well, now,
the closest thing you have to a skilled big on
that team is Julius Randall. So if you're going to
(24:46):
move him, you're going to have to get somebody as
good or better. And I don't know that they've that,
that the market has that out there, or that anybody
has interest in making that deal. So so as of
right now, I would expect Julius Randall to be a
New York next season, and I would not expect any
(25:09):
any more dramatic changes. I like their team with Hartenstein.
I love that team.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
Okay, Rick Baker joining us de Jontay Murray was who
was sent packing, and the big question was would Trey
Young be traded. Trey Young's far and away the most
popular Leanta Hawk. They've had uh since Dominique, maybe even
preceding Dominique. Wilkins, So, does this with with Murray being moved,
does that mean Trey Young stays in Atlanta?
Speaker 4 (25:38):
I would I would think so. I mean, they knew
that they had to break them up, and and it's
and it's as much as anything. It's like they needed
to break them up. And there was a better market
for Dejente than there was for Trey, just because of
the the size of the contract and the feeling that
he's he's good. But he's probably more valuable to Atlanta
(26:01):
because of that popularity than he would be to anybody
else in terms of the number. I don't know anybody
else around the league looks at Trey and says, this
is a cornerstone guy for a championship team. Really good player, exciting,
gets numbers, but the core of a championship. Ah, I don't.
(26:23):
I don't know that. The perspective around the league is
is that he's that, and so they had the opportunity
to They knew they had to break the break up
the two of them, and they were able to do
that with Dejonte. Now, what is interesting is Dejonte going
to New Orleans and the Pelicans having to make a
decision on on brandon Ingram. I know they'd like to
(26:44):
retain him, they do not want to pay him the
full vote that he that he wants, and I don't
know that they will. And again, we could be running
into a little bit of a Paul George situation with
the New Orleans Pelicans and brand and Ingram in terms
of we're we want to keep you, but we have
(27:05):
a number in mind, and if we can't meet that,
then then we'll find a way to move you. I
it's another situation where Brandon Ingram and what he wants.
First of all, there aren't a whole lot of teams
out there that have massive cap room, so it probably
ends up being a trade. And while I think people
(27:25):
like Brandon, I don't know that they love him to
the point that they'd be willing to take him on
for a max deal.
Speaker 3 (27:32):
Okay, so give me the give me the big name
player we're not thinking of that's going to be moved
here this week.
Speaker 4 (27:40):
Oh wow, you need to send me a question like
that ahead of the time, so I can.
Speaker 3 (27:48):
I know your phone is buzzing. I know you've got
a bunch of text return. I understand how this works,
and I know there's a name on that phone, and
you're like, oh, I mean like, look, I have a list.
I've been keeping a running tab of the names that
we've mentioned, and so tell me a name we haven't mentioned.
I mean, you know, I'm.
Speaker 4 (28:09):
Trying to Well, immediately, I have to go to the
teams that are somewhat capstrapped right now or are looking
to make that sizable move. And we've seen we've seen
a lot of it already. So I'm I'm a little
bit at a loss here in terms of let me
(28:32):
just take a quick look.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
Well, yeah, I mean they're trying to move Zach Levine,
but what about Demart erosion? I mean, who who you know,
one of the one of the bulls go ahead.
Speaker 4 (28:42):
I think that's another instance where DeMar Look, there isn't
a taker for Zach with that contract. There just isn't.
And financially, I don't Again, I don't know that the
bulls can do what they they'd love to keep the
(29:04):
mar Financially I don't. I don't know that they can
do it. I think they're up against it the same
way that Paul George is. So the other big question
is in Cleveland with Donovan Mitchell, like is he all in?
Is that the direction that they're.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
Going to go?
Speaker 4 (29:22):
Is he going to commit? And they need an answer
sooner rather than later on that. So that's another name
I would keep an eye on. And then looking across
the board, I am not seeing another team is going
(29:45):
to do something dramatic?
Speaker 2 (29:47):
What's that?
Speaker 3 (29:48):
Andrew Wiggins? He doesn't get moved.
Speaker 4 (29:52):
The only way he gets moved is if the Warriors
are willing to attach a pick, is what I've been told. Like,
Wiggins is a place where people believe he was at
his best with the Warriors, and the Wiggins that we
saw last year is more than Norman and the twenty
(30:16):
twenty two Wiggins is the exception. And so I think
the Warriors are in a place where they're like, we
need to find a way. Our best path is to
find a way to recreate twenty twenty two Wiggins because
we don't want to get We don't want to have
to give him a pick or some sort of asset
in order to move Wiggins.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
And that's what it would be.
Speaker 3 (30:36):
It would be.
Speaker 4 (30:37):
Kind of the de Angelo Russell, Please take them off
our hands and we'll give you a pick to do it.
That that is the state of Andrew Wiggins right now
in the league. From what I have been told and
everything that I see in Minnesota is that as of
right now, they're going to try to run it back.
(31:00):
Believe that the only thing they need to do is
mature and do it on a timeline that that Mike
Conley is not too mature.
Speaker 3 (31:10):
Yeah, I got you. He's Rick Buker. Read his work
at Foxsports dot com. Of course you can see him
on TV at on Fox Sports One. He's the absolute
best Buke. I appreciate you joining us. I know you're busy.
Thanks for joining us on Fox Spork Tridio. You got
it all right. Coming up next in the Herd, we
got the latest on Brandon Ayuk. That's next in the Herd.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noone Easter not a Empacific.
Speaker 6 (31:38):
Hey, it's Ben, host of the Fifth Hour with Ben Maller,
with me and a lot to have you join us
on our weekly auditory journey. You're asking, what in God's
name is the Fifth Hour? I'll tell you it's a
spin off of it. Ben Maler Show, a Colt hit
overnights on FSR. Why should you listen? Picture if you
will a world will. We chat with captains of industry
in media, sports and more every week explore so amazing
(32:00):
facts about human nature and more. Listen to the Fifth
Hour with Ben Mather or the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast
or wherever you get your podcast.
Speaker 3 (32:07):
Doug Gollibin for Collins heard on Fox Sports Radio, iHeartRadio app.
Let's get to Herdline News. No, no, turn on the news.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
This is the herd Line News.
Speaker 3 (32:25):
Hellou, Ryan, HELLU.
Speaker 5 (32:27):
All right, Doug, We're actually gonna start this off with
some breaking news, So we're gonna go with four stories
and a jam packed Herdline News. This just coming down
in the past couple minutes. Adrian woj Niarowski with the
breaking news out of the NBA. Boston Celtics guard Derek
White has agreed on a four year, one hundred and
twenty five point nine million dollar contract extension to stay
(32:52):
with the Boston Celtics. Does include a player option. YadA, YadA, YadA.
Speaker 3 (32:59):
Well, obviously, Derek quite, I mean, a bunch of things
have gone his way. Everyone knows the ascension that he
had when he's in college or when he's in high
school to you know, when he is not recruited. He
grew a bunch, by the way, it's one of the
things that's not a report. I think he grew like
eight inches like it was not recruited, and then all
of a sudden he becomes an NBA player, like he
grew like eight inches. But anyway, I mean, look, the
(33:22):
Boston model is, you know, you have three two way
players and two stars, sure, and you have you know,
five stretch fives. The big question for Boston is going
to be how long they keep this together with al Horford?
And can they keep christas persingis you know, kind of
together with Scotch tape. That's really what it comes down to, because.
Speaker 5 (33:46):
He's already going to be out for almost half the
regular season at least.
Speaker 3 (33:52):
Right, I mean, they need him in the playoffs, but sure,
but again, and then you're depending on how Horford whatever
else they decide to do. Inside. They signed the kid
from from Vanderbilt. What was his saying, the big center
from Vanderbilt who could shoot? So again that the Celtics
of the model, and everybody's trying to play catch up
to what they can do. I think Philadelphia's got a shot,
(34:14):
but it's what can they add at those other pieces
to be with the Celtics that are much more balanced team.
Speaker 4 (34:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (34:20):
I think the interesting thing what with the Celtics is
and you know, we saw this move obviously the other
contract extensions that they've done to basically just retain a
lot of this year's team over into future years. Brad
Stevens someone who you know pretty well, kind of remarkable
(34:41):
that he's somehow pulled off being a better GM than
he was a coach after being a head coach at
a relatively smaller college basketball program. His his basketball acumen
is second to none.
Speaker 3 (34:57):
Right now. I think he's the new Jerry West. The
only thing he doesn't have Jerry West is the the
incredible playing intangibles. But in terms of player evaluation, be
able to coach it. I mean, Jerry West didn't like coaching,
wasn't a particularly good coach, whereas Brad Stevens is. But
Brad Stevens that the mental dexterity to be able to
be a great coach in college, a great coach in
(35:19):
the NBA. And I do I don't throw it around
rather work great. I think he's a great coach in
the NBA, but I also think he understood that his
voice they kind of got tired of his voice. They
need a new voice. Sure. And then he chose not
one but two high level coaches, right like we can
say we want about Imi Udoka and how it ended
in fact was he went to the NBA finals and
(35:40):
then he found another one. That's he's been an outstanding coach.
And yeah, I think Brad Stevens deserves a lot more
praise than he gets. Tash.
Speaker 5 (35:50):
All right, now let's dive in on that again being
the breaking news Derek White big contract extension to stay
with the Celtics that just coming out. Now, let's get
to uh, some of our other prepared topics will stick
with the NBA real quick. Two time NBA champ contavingdus
excuse me, Contavious Caldwell Pope is leaving the Nuggets and
will be signing with the Magic, getting a three year,
(36:13):
sixty six million dollar deal.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
This one hurts for the Nuggets.
Speaker 5 (36:17):
KCP player on both ends of the floor, shot forty
from three during his two seasons in Denver. You know,
we were quick to anoint the Denver Nuggets as the
next great dynasty to take hold in the NBA. And
not that I think it's over for the Nuggets by
any means, but now here they are in the process
(36:38):
of sort of shedding some of their championship talent as
opposed to continuing to build.
Speaker 3 (36:43):
No question, last year they lost h Bruce Brown rights. Yeah,
and then and I thought that really helped hurt them. Yes,
hurt their ability to play small when Jogich wasn't in
the game. And now you lose KCP, who you want
to a career resuscitation.
Speaker 5 (37:01):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 3 (37:02):
I mean it was amazing. People forget that he could
only play home games and had to stay sleep in
a detention facility when he was with the Lakers. Then
he was an integral part of their championship team, and
then he was obviously an integral part of the Nuggets
championship team. So this is the challenge to finding those
guys that fit into your culture and into your needs.
(37:24):
And we'll see what Denver is able to replace him,
because they need a need. They need both. They need
another KCP and they need another Bruce Brown.
Speaker 2 (37:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (37:31):
And you know the interesting thing about the Nuggets, and
you know, Jamal Murray got a contract extension, they have Jokic.
Those are their two core players. That's you know, if
they're both healthy and right, then they'll be fine for
the most part. But Jamal Murray has become quite a
fascinating player of has never been an All Star, but
we all really respect him and think he's a great player.
(37:53):
But he certainly had his struggles during this postseason as
opposed to the previous postseason, which was a clear reason
why they were able to win the title. And it'll
be fascinating to see sort of which version of Jamal
Murray we get heading into next year, no doubt. And
let's turn our attention to the NFL here. The Broncos
haven't made the playoffs in the eight season since winning
(38:14):
Super Bowl fifty. In that same span, they've only been
over five hundred once. Well, things are about to change,
at least according to their linebacker Jonas Griffith. He told
one of four point three the fan in Denver, quote,
they're going to surprise a lot of people, and head
coach Sean Payton is very confident in this year's team. Obviously,
some big changes with the Broncos Russell Wilson is out.
(38:37):
They drafted Bo Nicks out of Oregon. They also have
Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson. Colin obviously a big fan
of Sean Payton and a big fan of O Nicks
coming out of college.
Speaker 3 (38:50):
Yeah. Look, the bow Knicks experiment is going to be
really interesting, right because here's a guy that went to
a place and started as a freshman at Auburn where's
dad had played, and obviously kind of resurrected his NFL
career going to Oregon, play a ton of college football,
and you know, when you're hand picked by Sean Payton.
Speaker 5 (39:08):
Bike more college football than any like modern quarterback has
ever played with like over sixty starts.
Speaker 3 (39:15):
That's crazy. That's crazy. Uh yeah, it's going to be
really really interesting to see how that how that plays out.
I don't I don't know. Like the Boat Nix of
the last two years, especially this past year, was incredibly consistent,
but if you watch him in the SEC, he was
incredibly inconsistent, especially on the road. So you know, but
(39:36):
he's going to get more than one opportunity to fail
because he is Sean Payton's guy, and this is Sean
Payton's ship.
Speaker 5 (39:43):
We'll wrap up with this the latest for you on
Brandon Aiyuk and the forty nine Ers in this very
public and very contentious contract negotiation. Iyuk was on the
Pivot podcast. He was talking about where he thinks he
will play next season. He said, if I were to guess,
it's going to be in a Niners unif if not
a Niners uniform, probably a commander's uniform. If not in Washington,
(40:05):
maybe a Steeler's uniform. So he does have the realistic
expectation that if the forty nine Ers don't want to
move him, he's not going anywhere. But we know the
commander's connection with their new quarterback Jane Daniels and their
brief time together at Arizona State and College, and then
surprisingly enough, the Steelers. I guess he wants to team
(40:25):
up with Russell Wilson. I'm not sure of the connection
there other than maybe just had an appreciation of the organization.
Speaker 3 (40:32):
I know they don't have to do anything they don't
want to do it. I just just pep up for
people to understand how these contracts work. Don't have to
do anything they don't want to do it, and the
likely it is they don't want to do it at
least this year, that he'll just he'll be back playing
for the Niners. But we'll see. That's ry music with
the news.
Speaker 2 (40:51):
Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping by the
herd Line News.
Speaker 3 (40:56):
Look. Despite potentially and in the likely inevan ability of
losing Klay Thompson to free agency and not getting Paul
George in free agency, you know what I want to
do up coming next just just a thought for me.
I want to talk at the Warriors, right because there's
this weird kind of mere curiol thought on the dynasty
(41:18):
and whether or not they can resuscitate it or whether
or not it's dead and you just scrap it and
move on. Right, So here's what we're gonna do. We'll
dive in. I'll tell you why. I think. It's just me,
Doug Gottlieb filling in for Colin. I think that losing
Klay Thompson free agency is the sign that the that
(41:39):
the Warriors have a chance to keep the dynasty rolling
or get the dynasty back. I'll explain that. I'm coming
next again. I'm Doug Gottlieb. This is the Hurd on
Fox Sports Radio on the iHeart radio app,
Hosts And Creators
Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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